Megachurches cancel services on Christmas

AP ^ | 12/07/05 | Rachel Zoll

[Pikamax]

Megachurches cancel services on Christmas By Rachel Zoll

The Associated Press

This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country.

Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when the churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day.

Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdowns.

It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture.

[BlueYonder]

Closing on Easter would be next.

[grobdriver]

Since when did expected attendence have anything to do with whether a church had services or not?
Sounds like these are more business concerns than pastoral.

[conservatrice]

We'll probably go to church on Christmas eve or Christmas day, but not both. Later in the article, it mentions that these churches will have services leading up to Christmas, so it's not like they're taking Christ out of Christmas or anything. While the idea makes me really uncomfortable, I can see why they're doing it.

[TChris]

How sadly ironic.

[Theophilus]

If it has mass appeal, there is probably something wrong with it.

[nikos1121]

So in other words, only a handfull of the thousands upon thousands of Christian Churches will not hold Christmas services this year. The bad news is that this happens to be news and is posted here.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I was hoping this was a parody . . . no such luck.

Sigh . . .

[cyclotic]

I actually floated this idea past a couple people at my church. Not to cancel completely, but to truncate our Sunday services a bit. Our small church has a communion service first, then a traditional preaching service. Most members attend both. I floated dropping the preaching on Christmas morning. The idea got sunk real quick.

[katieanna]

We're going Christmas Eve night.

[loreldan]

Christmas is a religious day and a family day, but not necessarily a church day. I agree that the reason for Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, but I think it's acceptable to celebrate at home with your family. My church is having services on both Christmas eve and Christmas Day, but we plan on staying home. We'll probably read the Biblical Christmas story.

[BlueYonder]

Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., said ..."If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don't go to church, how likely is it that they'll be going to church on Christmas morning?"

I guess if you're willing to say something this brazen, you should be prepared to answer a question like this: If your mission is to reach the unchurched, how many days off should you expect to take?

As a former Willow Creek member, I am stunned.

[standingfirm]

Our church is having services only on Christmas Eve also. Regardless of whether Christmas falls on a Sunday or not, we've never has Christmas morning service, only Christmas Eve. Makes sense to me. Christmas morning is family day.

I don't know what the problem is with this. My local Christian radio station was all upset over this as well. They were getting way too preachy for me. God doesn't look at the day, only one's heart. Let's keep the heart in it folks!!

[Not A Snowbird]

I can see perhaps canceling child care and having the kids in the worship center instead of off on their own. We do that all the time for special occasions.

But the doors should be unlocked and the pastor present. If one person shows up to be ministered to, then that one person should matter.

[Jemian]

If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched,

That is in a nutshell what is wrong with many of these types of churches. The target and our mission as Christians is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Evangelism is not mentioned as the purpose of the Ten Commandments but putting the worship of God first takes up the first four commandments. It is the purpose of the Body of Christ to worship God and then as we are going to make disciples.

[Mac94]

I'm a bit suprised they'd close for the whole day. Every church will have to make it's own plans. I known my church will have sunday service, but just one instead of the usual two and we won't have sunday school. Of course, we're in a bed room community type city and people travel away from the town for the holidays instead of "to," so that's one of the reasons for going to one service. But, we will hold two Christmas Eve services.

[sasafras]

bum-p

[Semper Paratus]

If a Christian Church doesn't bother to celebrate Christ's birth it might as be turned into a bingo parlor.

[standingfirm]

They are celebrating it Christmas Eve.

Besides that he wasn't born exactly on December 25th.

[Coldwater Creek]

My mega church (30,000) is NOT cancelling services.